[OOC: For the rescue mission to the rescue shelter.]

Shadow-of-the-Highest

Not so much under cover of darkness but as darkness, Shadow having invoked his namesake form before nearing the target, the usually-ginger tom flitted towards the building, seeking a way inside through even the narrowest of cracks. He was here a day early, seeking out something of sufficient value to make even Sable avert his gaze in respect.

Assuming the sun has departed the sky and only the moon graces the building with its light, Shadow is able to find the place with ease. It is a medium sized Burden's building. Larger than a home but smaller than some of the huge places where Burdens go to look in windows and carry out bags of stuff.

The building is white though with the dirt of time on its sides. It has doors on all sides. On the street side there are double glass doors which offer a view into a waiting area of some kind. It smells of too many dogs and cats to be safe, even if it is empty at this hour.

The north wall has a solid door which is painted white like the rest of the building. Only the scents of burdens can be found here.

The south wall has a similar solid white door, though this one smells of dead and burnt things as well as a painful pungent odor like used in kitchens of Burdens.

The east wall has a large fenced parking lot and two large roll up style doors. The area smells of many animals, blood, and cleaning agents. It is a horrid mix.

[OOC: Anyone else going to join in the scouting?]

Shadow

He ghosted towards the entrance that smelled of danger, of cats and dogs. In his present form a door was not an obstacle, and he fully intended to exploit that to see what was beyond. The ways of burdens were strange, and the scent of so many other cats and dogs raised the shadows of his hackles in the darkness even in this umbral incarnation, but there was little value in doing this if it was easy.

Tiger-Lily



As agreed she had let Shadow go first, staying back and keeping watch but ready to lend a hand or offer any insights into the place based on her own experiences. She is light of foot and moves silently. She waits though for Shadow to indicate she should join him.

Shadow

The presently two-dimensional feline turned from the building and passed through the intervening darkness towards his three-dimensional cohort and source of information. Taking up position within her own shadow, he spoke, voice as oddly flat as the rest of him,

"Four main ways in. One stinks of burdens. One stinks of death and old burning. One stinks of a multitude of both Our kind and dogs. The last stinks of many, and of spilled blood, and of the vile liquids burdens use to deaden scent and remove markings. Which did you go in and out before? Which do you know already?"

Tiger-Lily



"It was not this place but another like it. But I did go in via a way that smelt of our kind and others, though I came out a different way which I think was the way for Burdens. We need to find a way that is open to us. There will be many barriers inside too that will make this task very hard."

She pauses for a moment thinking about the importance of this task and the lives they might save. Any of them could end up this way. She nearly did.

"I should make you aware of some of the things I can do that might be useful here. I can move without being seen. And I can create ways of reaching places that seem out of reach. So if we can find an opening, even if it is high up, I might be able to reach it."

She has to trust Shadow. If they are to work together and make this exploratory mission a success there really is no choice, even if it is on such short acquaintance.

Shadow

An impression of emerald eyes in the darkness slowly blinked, the tom weighing up her words, her potential value to contribute.

"A Warden, useful to know. I know enough of wards to keep My Burdens protected, but I am a Shaper as My sharpest claw. As you presently see Me, I can move in darkness without limit, pass around, beneath or through almost any barrier the burdens raise, and even do battle with things without substance, spirits, ghosts, things that haunt and skulk and lurk where most things cannot touch them.

I cannot scratch the world of real things when I am like this, and changing from one to the other always takes effort, always has risks. I can also make My size be whatever I want it to be, smaller than a kitten or bigger than a burden, in this world or that. Nothing can match me in a fight, claw to claw, teeth to teeth, for I am the master of My own form.

Now, let's think how we do this. I can go in through the blocked ways, solid and see-through, without opening them, or without calling upon Burdens to open them. I can see what there is to see within, and try to find something I can open from the inside, some other way to get you and the rest past the barriers. What I learn is useless if it can't be pounced upon. What we must not do is find a way in and then do anything to it that might make the Burdens block it off in a new way."

Tiger-Lily



She listens respectfully as he speaks, impressed with what he reveals and gratified that he is trusting her with this information.

"I agree. We should do nothing to alert anyone, even our own kind lest excitement give us away. Surprise will be useful when we attempt the rescue. I can tell you that it is much quieter when the sun has gone. There are fewer people and they don't move very often. Most of our kind sleep because there is nothing to do but stretch, wash or sleep."

Shadow

The shadow twitched, as if its ears moved to better hear her.

"Then I leave the outside to you. Look for possible ways in, up where you can reach or that could let the rest in. Something big enough for our People inside to follow when we have them, if there is such a way. I will look around within, see what I can learn inside. Meet back right here in a couple of naps to see what we can work out together."

Terror of the Alley

"I'll back you up," the big cat offered as he appeared on the scene. "Scout the outside of this place while Shadow investigates inside."

Tiger-Lily



She nods to Shadow.

"Take care"

Then she turns her head to view Terror as he joins them.

"Glad to have you along. Going to work our way around the outside."

She heads off in a clockwise direction using available cover, viewing the outside, her eyes searching for a way in. If she finds on she knows that she should be able to reach it.

Shadow

The two-dimensional feline acknowledged them both, then went back towards the see through entrance that smelt of too many of the People and dogs, looking to head inside this time.

Shadow enters and is in a large room. There are three other burden doors off of the room. Also in this room are some of those things burdens sit upon. Also there are things with things that can be shredded and then knocked to the floor. On the left side of the room there is a long thing made to walk upon with a burden sit thing behind it.


Outside they see the four sides described above. As they make their patrol they see a burden pull up in a blue traveling machine. A burden dressed in blue like his car gets out as they watch.

Tiger-Lily

Immediately she crouches in the undergrowth or nearest shadow, going into stealth mode, low to the ground, silent, unmoving, her eyes fixed on the burden as she scents the air. Her muscles are bunched ready to spring into action.

"We may need to warn Shadow." She hisses quietly to Terror.

Shadow

The ways of Burdens are ever mysterious. The shadow-cat committed the layout to memory, claws itching to shred but constrained both by the nature of the mission and his present incorporeal nature as just a part of the surrounding darkness. He headed underneath the nearest door.

Outside the burden makes his way towards the door in the back of the building. The two cats are unnoticed. With a shiny key the burden unlocks the door and opens it.

Inside Shadow is able to slip past the next door. It leads to a small room with a door in the back. It has a high table, perfect for leaping on. It smells of dogs, cats, rats, and too many other creatures. There are foul smelling things in high cabinets and low cabinets as well.

Tiger-Lily

"I need to go in now whilst there is a way. Please stay here and keep watch. If we can't get out then you will need to let the others know."

Using her magic to go invisible, Tiger-Lily races for the open door taking care not to get too close the the Burden as he will not see her.

Shadow

The purpose of such a room eluded him, the oppressive scents made him want to go on the defensive, hunch up in a corner ready to fend off everything. Such strangeness, these Burdens caused! He headed for the far door, eager to complete the mission and get out of this unnerving place.

Tiger entered the door before the burden closed it and it made a clicking sound. Invisible the burden had no idea she was there. He walked across a large room with many cages. Some of the cages were filled with dogs, cats, and even a couple of ferrets. Even the animals didn't see Tiger as she looked about. On the far side of the large room there were three doors, one ahead, one on each side. The burden was walking that way.

=====
Shadow passed beneath the next door and came into a hall. His sense was that the hall ran the length of the building. Probably connected to another of the burden doors he saw in that first room.

The scents of animals grew stronger to the right and less, more burden like to the left.

Terror

He prowled outside, keeping an eye on the door that the burden and Tiger-Lilly had disappeared through but also scouring this side of the building for any entrance that might allow for his own entry. They would need to find some way for the rescue party to enter that did not depend on waiting for a burden to open the door for them.

Tiger-Lily

She had acted on impulse and in hindsight she is not sure it had been the wisest decision. However, she did not want to lave Shadow to fend for himself just in case, even allowing for the fact that movement will be easier for him from what he had told her.

She has no idea where Shadow is though, so she scents for him. Her intention is clear though, she will need the Burden to gain access to other areas and if the Burden discovers Shadow then that's where she needs to be. So if the Burden goes through another door, she intends to follow.

Tiger is unable to sense Shadow over the cleaners and many different animals in her area. But she can guess that the direction the burden is going, is the direction Shadow will be found in. It is in line with where he came in. It is also likely he would smell the other animals, this is obviously the room that they will have to free their brethren from.

Shadow

He headed for the first door on the right: Identifying their target room and a good route out were key. Plus, it was easier for the shadow of a cat to hide in a room with actual cats, not that concealing himself in darkness or in places impossible to reach was difficult.

As Shadow approaches the door he hears the sound of a burden approaching the other side. The footsteps echo in a large space.

Tiger-Lily

She knows where the Burden is going and scoots ahead to give herself time to slip through the door, keeping a close eye on the Burden's feet so that he doesn't stand on her.

She hopes she will find Shadow but the least she can do is scout the place whilst she is here. There is much to learn.

The burden stops at the far door where Tiger expected, and opens it. This one doesn't require any special fidgeting. Tiger spots a tell tale blotch that is Shadow coming towards her before she exits the room.

[OOC: As a note, Shadow doesn't note Tiger-Lily's presence.]

Shadow

He enters the shadow beside the doorway, next to the hinges, looking to go beneath the door itself as it opens so as to avoid being spotted by the Burden.

{OOC bit confused as to which doors were are referring to but her action is clear.}

Tiger-Lily

She sees Shadow and moves close to him. She had come here to find him afterall.

"It's Tiger-Lily"

She whispers quietly near his head.

Shadow

Quietly, he responded,

"So you found a reliable way in and out?"

Tiger-Lily

"Nope. Came in with the Burden. Was worried about you."

She keeps her voice low, hopefully below the Burden's hearing range. She is still watching the Burden carefully.

Terror

He continued his search of the outside of the building. Many new structures built by burdens had few accidental entry points, unlike the older buildings with their broken windows and rotting walls. But it was still possible something useful had been overlooked. And Terror was good at hunting things that didn't want to be found.

Shadow

Inasmuch as a two-dimensional area of darkness within a larger area of darkness could look bemused, the feline shadow radiated that emotion. He replied in equally near-silent tones,

"Worried about me? Why? I wasn't going to attack it, that would make our task much harder! I know what's at stake here and this is neither the time nor the place to toy with a burden like a cornered mouse."

Tiger-Lily

"I didn't know if the Burden might capture you. And I didn't want you to have to face the Burden on your own. Maybe I was wrong. I'm not very experienced in these things."

She sighs softly, still keeping her voice really low.

"Anyway, we are both here, shall we continue?"

Shadow

Quietly, he clarified,

"In My present state, it couldn't even touch Me, much less capture Me, and that's if it even registered My presence at all. A lone burden is no threat to Me. Anyway, back to what we must do."

Moving on, the shadow travelled through darkness to the next unopened door and passed beneath it.

The door that Tiger had just come through, which Shadow now goes underneath leads to a large room. It runs at least half the building. At the far end are big doors that lead outside, as they had seen them when looking around. There is also a smaller door which the burden and Tiger had entered.

Tiger is left on the side of the now closed door watching the burden in uniform walk away towards the other side of the interior of the building, where the more burden like smells are.

Tiger-Lily

"Oh.."

She responds as Shadow slides under the door. She hadn't really appreciated his capabilities nor thought things through before she rushed in. Now she is feeling not a little foolish, especially as she cannot follow Shadow.. and unless she can find a way out, she will be stuck here until the Burden leaves.

Her head swivels from side to side. Stay here and wait for Shadow? Follow the Burden so she doesn't get trapped?

She reasons that Shadow can't see her but that she should stay close to the Burden. And she might learn something.

"I'll follow the Burden" she whispers under the door and then sets off to follow him.

The burden walks down the hall and past where Shadow's scent enters the hall. He keeps walking into an area with several burden sized doors. One of them he opens. Before Tiger has a chance to get there, he stops and says "howdy Mike, how is it going?"

Another male burden voice answers "fine enough, but glad to see you."

She can hear him rustling and a chair squeaking. The door remains open with the burden she followed standing in it. As the pair prepare to exchange positions.

Shadow

A cursory examination of the room, committing it to memory, then returning beneath the interior door to continue the explorations.

Tiger-Lily

She tries to commit as much of the layout as she can to memory, also looking to entrances/exits which they will need for the raid.

And now there are two Burdens. Life is more complicated than she had thought. Does she stay with the first Burden or the new one?

She decides to follow the one that moves around the most. That way she is most likely to learn more and maybe find a way out.

One burden remains in the room with the glowing square boxes. She notes in those boxes are moving pictures of some of the places they have been inside and outside the building. As well as some places that they haven't been.

The one that was in the room says "I will make a set of rounds and then I am out of here." He heads further away from the big room.

Shadow's shadow approaches as the man heads deeper towards the burden side of the building.

He makes a quick round of walking down the corridor and checking into closed rooms. They are filled with metal things and low table things that offer plenty of things to be knocked to the floor. A couple of them have windows.

There are a few more rooms like the second one Shadow investigated with the empty table and the closed wall things.

The entire area smells of burdens and the pungent cleaners.

(ooc: is Terror finding anything at all promising on the outside?)

[OOC: Thanks for the reminder, forgot all about him.]

The outside of the building is broken up by burden sized doors. Clear doors in the front and solid every where else. In the back near the door that Tiger-Lily went in there are two large vehicle sized doors.

It is quiet till Terror spots a slinking group of young burdens. They are off to one side under a tree and out of the light shed by the pole in the lot with the burden's traveling thing. An acrid smell of some kind of burning element assault's Terror's sensitive nose.

Tiger-Lily

Perfect!

Doing the rounds will get her into lots of places and then she can follow him back outside. She focuses on staying close to the 'rounds' burden whilst avoiding his feet. And she tries to learn as much as she can.

She understands the screens. Her Burden spends a lot of his time looking at one. In the evening, not so much but the screen stays alive and show views of the outside. She has worked out that they are little machines in the same places as show on that screen. One at the back door and one at the front. Somehow they are connected. So she notes what the screen shows outside, might be important.

Shadow

He waited for the Burden to move on, then continued methodically going through the doors which he hadn't seen behind yet, building up a picture of the place in his mind. Avoiding the Burdens was a priority: Whilst they couldn't touch him, he didn't want them to see shadows where no shadow should be.

Both Tiger and Shadow are able to travel through the rest of the building. Much of that side is burden related and exactly what the rooms are for is unclear.

However the burden they are following does eventually turn back and walk to the large room with the cages and animals. He seems to be headed towards the door to the outside.

Terror

He hissed softly at the smell coming from the burdens. He slid into a darker shadow to stay out of their line of sight -- young burdens were far less predictable than the older ones, and could sometimes be cruel.

But he did not retreat, no matter the noxious smell. Perhaps they had something to do with the mystery of this place? And that meant he should probably figure out what they were doing. Terror stuck to the darkest of shadows, sliding stealthily closer, in hopes of deciphering their actions without calling attention to himself.

The group of burdens were talking with each other. They had small brown things they were sucking from, in addition to a smoking ember they are passing around. It was the ember that offered the noxious smell. The burdens seemed completely unaware that Terror was stalking them.

Tiger-Lily

She and Shadow had worked in harmony without the need to break the silence much, just a small noise from her to alert Shadow to her presence as he couldn't see her. They were both getting a tour of the place which is useful. She is still looking for a way that they could get back in without needing a Burden.

It seems they are heading to the place where the other animals are kept. Too many memories of her own confinement but she steels herself knowing that there is a rescue in planning for them all.

Shadow

He'd never admit it, but it was a useful arrangement: Tiger could go where there was a risk of being seen, whereas he could go where there was no obvious way in. It meant better coverage, a more thorough exploration.

He watched the approach to the door to outside with great interest: Sometimes these blockers of ways had fiddly bits beyond the ken of catkind, but there was always a chance this might not be the case.

There were no signs of an obvious or easy cat entrance without the use of a burden. Each door had a little round knob that had to be turned to move the heavy door. The last door to the outside had an additional thing that was turned and held for a moment to allow the door to open in addition to the round thingy.

They didn't see any open windows. So without intervention they would need some sort of a trick to get the door open and all of the animals in the cages out.

Tiger-Lily

She is feeling a bit frustrated that they haven't found a way to get back in. They will have to think of another way, maybe a way to fool a Burden?

She is ready to leave as soon as the outer door is opened. Terror is out there somewhere.. maybe he has found a way?

Shadow

Doors with fiddly bits in the one place it would cause the worst problems. That approach would be difficult. Perhaps the windows? Things made of the see-through stuff broke easily enough if something hit them hard enough, He'd pushed enough things off ledges in his time to see that. Not something they could do beforehand, though.

After one of Tiger's quiet 'I'm here' sounds, he very quietly murmured,

"I'll look at the cages, see how they can be opened. Keep working on a way in and out. Maybe break one of the see through things on the day? Anything."

Tiger-Lily

"Understood" came the quiet reply, followed with "leaving when the Burden goes outside."

She continues to look for anything that might help in their mission.

There are plenty of the glass things, some off in the area they just left where the burdens would normally be found. Plenty of things on shelves to be knocked off and might even do what they hope.

The cages are actually fairly simple affairs with a long metal bar that loops over another. None of them are locked per say, but each bar would have to be moved to allow the door to swing open and the occupant freed.

Tiger follows the burden outside and he crosses the area to another burden conveyance. He then gets in, it makes a noise and lights come on. Soon it is driving away.

Now outside Tiger looks about but Terror is not to be seen, at least not immediately.

Shadow

Not difficult, but time-consuming: they'd need to get the rescued to help to speed things up lest it take longer than a nap or two to get everyone.

He looked for nooks and crannies normally inaccessible, things in the walls that could be travelled through, places where air moved inside buildings, or where the plastic-coated metal string ran.

Terror

He'd never liked the little burning sticks with their foul smells and fire. One of his burden's neighbors sometimes carried those as well. She'd almost burned his burden with it once and he'd kept a close eye on her ever since.

Unless it seemed they were up to something suspicious, though, he'd make his way back to the building and continue searching for a way in.

Tiger-Lily

She is thinking over what they have discovered. Maybe they could wait for a Burden to let them in.. but that would really only work for her. But then she might be able to create a hole in one of the see through places. A possibility.

She looks around for Terror. Maybe he is still searching the outside? She heads off around the building to find him.

(OOC: Cats can gather how they wish. All are outside I think...)

Terror

He padded back over to the building and spotted Tiger-Lilly. "Glad to see you out. Did you find a way in?"

Tiger-Lily

As she spottted Terror, she released her magic to become visible so that he could see her.

"I went in with the burden. Sorry about the abrupt departure. Met Shadow inside and we explored but still haven't found a good way back in. It is possible though that one of us could go back in and then break a see through wall to let the others in. Shadow has stayed back to see if he can work out how to open the cages."

Terror

"Hmm, that's not good," he mused. "I suppose the burdens must try to make things very difficult if they want to keep us captive."

He looked again at the building. "I could find no entry either. It is disappointing. I wonder if we could discover the true name of one of the large dogs and control it. It might be easier to break things with a large form."

Tiger-Lily

Her eyes widen.

"Can =you= do that?"

She looks impressed.

"Let's wait for Shadow and see if he has found anything else."

A quick review of the exterior. There are several closed clear surfaces, which if open, could offer access, though in their current state do not. There are a few doors, all of which will require burden intervention.

Though the building is as tall as a two floor building, they only saw one floor and no stair upward. The room with the cages was two floor high though. In addition there was no easy way to reach the roof from the ground. Though it might be possible to use a burden vehicle's roof or some other trick to access it.

Shadow

The shadow cat did not want to return empty-mouthed, so he redoubled his efforts: checking everywhere he could (and he could check a great many places) for places the Burdens didn't usually go, cat-accessible or not.

Inside he does spot an opening in the ceiling that might offer access to the roof but it is closed so no way to be sure.